Punters Burnt
Punters were burnt early on Derby Day when the warm favourite, Azkadellia, turned in a pretty poor performance in the Carbine Club Stakes.

This is the very same horse that Michelle Payne copped a roasting for after being beaten at Caulfield.

The grandstand riders were certainly out in force that day and those that followed their money again at Flemington fared no better.

Too much has obviously been written into winning a four horse race at Wangaratta.

Whilst the filly has some ability she is no world beater at this stage, it may be time to sit back and reassess where her future lies.

Maiden Winners at Flemington

Wonder what Lachlan Mackinnon would have thought about two Maiden horses winning Group races on Derby Day.

Mackinnon was Chairman of the Victoria Racing Club from 1916 to 1935; he was among the purist of the purists, the ultimate traditionalist.

When Phar Lap, a gelding, won the Derby, defeating Carradale, a colt owned by Mackinnon, he was quite upset that a gelding could beat a colt in a classic.

He tried to influence the Committee to have geldings made ineligible to be entered for the classic races, believing they didn’t enhance the breed of the thoroughbred horse.

When Balloon King, a colt, won the Derby the following year, the issue was basically put to rest, but only temporally.

Finally the Chairman had a victory when Johnnie Jason, the next year, two years after Phar Lap won, a rule was enforced that geldings were ineligible to be entered for the Derby and remained so for some years.

A Reason To Celebrate

There was reason to celebrate in the Sweeney household, at Jerilderie, over the Derby Day week-end.

It all commenced when Philip won the second challenge of the Jeep 55 with Sweet Emily at Moonee Valley on Friday night, running the best time to date for the 955 metres dash in the fastest to date of 0.55.35.

Time was going to be the essence of the contract, it was back home to work to work 27 horses in the morning, after those chores was completed it was a bit of brekkie and off to Balranald with wife, Irene, and 18 year old daughter who was having her first ride in a race.

Her father, Philip, entrusted her with the ride on Lachlan Lily in the Spring Cup, which she duly won, to the delight of her proud parents.

While three quarters of the family were in Balranald for the day, Brooke, who is two years older than Sally, slipped down the road a bit to Berrigan where she rode a winning double on La Bella Blue and Jamie’s Star, and just missing out in the Cup on her dad’s horse, Cee Cee ‘N’Dry.